Is it in your town too?

[gwd]

This morning I saw two people on real euro style bikes, heavy racks, chaincase, integrated electronics full fenders. I've been seeing different ones almost every day this spring. I used to only see someone else on a bike like that maybe once per month. Some of them look well used but some look brand new too. If many more people start getting around on practical bikes I'll no longer be a dork, I'll be like hip or something. Is it just a DC thing? It has become too common to be just people from the international community.

[katmu]

I see them here too, and also am very happy about it as I feel like less of a geek on my Breezer.

[Roody]

Well, Lansing is not a city that's quick to jump on trends! I haven't seen the Euro bikes ridden yet, but a LBS is carrying them. I have seen quite a few of these bikes ridden in Traverse City, where I visit every month. I don't care for them myself.

[jimisnowhere]

My sister got the Electra Amsterdam. It is awesome. She has the second one I've seen.

[wahoonc]

Haven't seen any in my town either...but I am riding a brand new Redline R530 (http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/R530.html) with a bunch of add-ons that is a reasonable facsimile of one:D (Review forthcoming;))

Aaron:)

[Nightshade]

What's up with this "geek & dork" talk?? Whatever happened to
Screw it, I'll live my life my way, thank you??

There is great ,and honored, history in the use of the bicycle for
everyday folk's in everyday common use as transportation.

Shame on you for being such woosies.

[gwd]

What's up with this "geek & dork" talk?? Whatever happened to
Screw it, I'll live my life my way, thank you??

There is great ,and honored, history in the use of the bicycle for
everyday folk's in everyday common use as transportation.

Shame on you for being such woosies.

Well, its what the racers and other real cyclists call me. Where it actually makes a difference is when I go buy some spokes at the local bike shop and the mechanic says "I'll replace the spokes but will have to charge you extra because the bike looks different." I'll just do it myself, but what if I wanted someone to work on the bike? It makes a difference when I have to show the mechanic how easy it is to check something. When practical bikes become more common it will be easier to get parts and the shop won't charge people $5.00 to pop the chain case off.

[katmu]

Geek in my IT circles is a term of pride. And as a woman, I'm not ashamed of being a woosie.

[Artkansas]

What's up with this "geek & dork" talk?? Whatever happened to
Screw it, I'll live my life my way, thank you??

There is great ,and honored, history in the use of the bicycle for
everyday folk's in everyday common use as transportation.

Shame on you for being such woosies.

Geek is a very honorable term. Geeks discovered fire, designed the pyramids, invented the trebuchet, the printing press and the bicycle. Well, I've always been a geek and in my youth, a freak, waving my freak flag high. But for the life of me, I missed the book that laid out the great, and honored history of the use of the bicycle as transportation in this country.

I've faced traffic for nearly 50 years, so I may have helped write it.. So, in no way am I a wussie. Nor am I woozy.
:p

[Doug5150]

This morning I saw two people on real euro style bikes, heavy racks, chaincase, integrated electronics full fenders. I've been seeing different ones almost every day this spring. I used to only see someone else on a bike like that maybe once per month. Some of them look well used but some look brand new too. If many more people start getting around on practical bikes I'll no longer be a dork, I'll be like hip or something. Is it just a DC thing? It has become too common to be just people from the international community.
I would suspect it's more of a fashion thing.

In the US, these sorts of bikes are HORRIBLY overpriced.
Anyone who could afford one could probably just as well be driving their car.
~

[Buglady]

I was really happy to see a whole row of commuter/city equipped bikes at the LBS when I went in for some parts last month. They had racks, fenders, internal hubs, and chain guards - quite a change from last year's line-up of super-technical road and mountain bikes. AND they were affordable - ranging from $250-$600 (that's less than two week's pay even if you work in fast food here).

The shop has started carrying a wider range of panniers, trailers, and racks too.

(Oh, and I embrace my inner geek with great pride :p)

[wahoonc]

I would suspect it's more of a fashion thing.

In the US, these sorts of bikes are HORRIBLY overpriced.
Anyone who could afford one could probably just as well be driving their car.
~

Depends on the bike...Bicycles are limited production run items, typically hand assembled. They are also imported in small batches. Many of the true Dutch/Danish bikes are built in The Netherlands or Denmark...where, surprise! they pay living wages, as well as having one of the highest standards of living. They are built to last under heavy use conditions. Also the devalued dollar is not helping the situation. I don't consider $1,000 range totally unreasonable for a bike that is going to last most of my lifetime (if I can keep it from being stolen:()

Aaron:)

[gwd]

I would suspect it's more of a fashion thing.

In the US, these sorts of bikes are HORRIBLY overpriced.
Anyone who could afford one could probably just as well be driving their car.
~
You know, you got me thinking. If true, is it so bad? I mean this LCF of ours is crawling with frugal livers but thats not the norm in the US. The norm is conspicuous consumers/wasters. Whats wrong with the conspicuous consumers switching from fancy cars to fancy bikes to advertise themselves?

Social message broadcast by guy on $10K bike: "Hey girls look at me I have extra disposable income! Treat me right and I can treat you right."

Social message broadcast by girl on $10K bike: "Hey look at me! I'm as fun and self confident in bed as I am on this bike. You can tell by my bike that I demand expensive stuff so if you're rich I'm available!"

If they start showing up on LCF bragging about their pearl handled shifters and ostrich skin saddles we should welcome them shouldn't we?

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Well, its what the racers and other real cyclists call me. Where it actually makes a difference is when I go buy some spokes at the local bike shop and the mechanic says "I'll replace the spokes but will have to charge you extra because the bike looks different."
"Real Cyclists"?; and you return to a bike shop with mechanics with that kind of attitude? You should use a smiley icon to indicate that you are joking. You are kidding aren't you?

[Bikepacker67]

I haven't seen any euro-style bikes, but I did see my first "commuter on a folder" today, and had the opportunity to chat with her for a bit about her sweet, compactable ride.

[Lamplight]

I'm lucky to see anyone else on a bike at all, let alone a specific kind of bike.

[gerv]

I haven't seen any Euro-bikes around my town, but I did visit my LBS today and saw two bikes that seemed to come close: the Diamondback Transporter and the Specialized Globe. I'm surprised that the idea of "transporting" has hit the LBS, since when I got my "transporter" a few years ago, I had to upgrade a hybrid to get fenders, racks, etc. I think that gradually we are seeing the commuter bike become a staple product.

[bragi]

Well, Lansing is not a city that's quick to jump on trends! I haven't seen the Euro bikes ridden yet, but a LBS is carrying them. I have seen quite a few of these bikes ridden in Traverse City, where I visit every month. I don't care for them myself.

Why don't you care for them? (I don't either, BTW, though I welcome them if they get more people to ride bikes.)

[bragi]

Well, its what the racers and other real cyclists call me. Where it actually makes a difference is when I go buy some spokes at the local bike shop and the mechanic says "I'll replace the spokes but will have to charge you extra because the bike looks different." I'll just do it myself, but what if I wanted someone to work on the bike? It makes a difference when I have to show the mechanic how easy it is to check something. When practical bikes become more common it will be easier to get parts and the shop won't charge people $5.00 to pop the chain case off.

I've gone to shops that had a roadie orientation, or mountain biking, or some other sports orientation, and they were foolishly condescending and just didn't get it. Needless to say, I didn't give them my business. Find a shop that does get it. (Recently, I've done more and more of my own work, and that's actually even better... )

[TuckertonRR]

I've gone to shops that had a roadie orientation, or mountain biking, or some other sports orientation, and they were foolishly condescending and just didn't get it. Needless to say, I didn't give them my business. Find a shop that does get it. (Recently, I've done more and more of my own work, and that's actually even better... )

there's a few shops in Philly which are pretty good, but it seems they each have their own sub-specialty, when I need a part for my folder, Ill go to one, if I need mechanical advice, or some work done that I'm not proficient on, Ill go to another.

The bike shops in the burbs are generally _awful_. Mostly they just cater to suburban weekend roadies/racers who don't know $h!t about mechanics or taking care of a bike, and have lotsa money to spend.

[Doug5150]

...Where it actually makes a difference is when I go buy some spokes at the local bike shop and the mechanic says "I'll replace the spokes but will have to charge you extra because the bike looks different." ... When practical bikes become more common it will be easier to get parts and the shop won't charge people $5.00 to pop the chain case off.
Shops make most of their money on service, if you didn't know. If the chain-case complicates the job, then they aren't being unreasonable in charging more.

Amazingly enough, they actually charge a fee to fix flat tires too.
~

[donnamb]

This morning I saw two people on real euro style bikes, heavy racks, chaincase, integrated electronics full fenders. I've been seeing different ones almost every day this spring. I used to only see someone else on a bike like that maybe once per month. Some of them look well used but some look brand new too. If many more people start getting around on practical bikes I'll no longer be a dork, I'll be like hip or something. Is it just a DC thing? It has become too common to be just people from the international community.
This is my LBS (http://clevercycles.com/) - just a mile from my house.

The bike on the left belongs to the woman who will be my sister-in-law one month from now.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/donnambr/IMG_0574.jpg

[TuckertonRR]

Nice bike!!

[dynodonn]

I just seen my first "Euro" bike yesterday, a woman with a brand new SUV type pickup had one in is own high tech bed holder, along with a kayak in it's own high tech bed holder as well.

[donnamb]

:lol:

[gwd]

Shops make most of their money on service, if you didn't know. If the chain-case complicates the job, then they aren't being unreasonable in charging more.

Amazingly enough, they actually charge a fee to fix flat tires too.
~
Yes. Its not the "shop" its the attitude of the individual mechanics. Sometimes I'll pay them to do something I know how to do because they're faster and I'm in a hurry and had to go to the shop to buy the parts anyway. On my euro bike a few years after I bought it I kept getting broken spokes. One time I had the mechanic replace a spoke, he just put it on the rack and did it. Another time from a different mechanic at the same shop I got the "Your bike looks different its $5.00 more." so I took it home and did it myself. If more people ride these different looking bikes fewer mechanics will be confounded by the enclosed chain and release latch.

[Roody]

Why don't you care for them? (I don't either, BTW, though I welcome them if they get more people to ride bikes.)

It's just personal preference. I prefer the more stripped down type of bike. I value some nimbleness in a bike--either a mountain bike or a road bike. I also think the euro bikes don't look as cool. But I think it is cool to see ladies in dresses riding, and business guys with their neckties streaming behind them.

[Torrilin]

I would suspect it's more of a fashion thing.

In the US, these sorts of bikes are HORRIBLY overpriced.
Anyone who could afford one could probably just as well be driving their car.
~

Batavus runs $400 and up here in Madison. $400 will get you some kind of rack equipped 3 speed with good gearing for use within Madison. Biria seems to run about the same, tho they're a special order item. Breezer is a standard item. The Schwinn, Electra, Bianchi, Masi and Dahon internal gear models are all pretty easy to get here. Even the fanciest models probably aren't more than $1500 right now. Just try finding a new car for that much :D

The average Madison commuter is on vintage steel or a cheap hybrid. The average Madison commuter isn't car free tho, so they don't ride in winter. They also don't ride much at night or do lots of cargo. The ones who *do* seem to ride more European style bikes with as many features built in as possible.

You could make the same argument about trailers, but I don't think anyone could call them fashionable with a straight face :D.

[Novakane]

Haven't seen any of these, but I rebuilt my black MTB to be reminiscent of a euro bike all black and chrome with fenders. Anything that gets people riding is cool by me. Even the carbon road bikes, even though I haven't much use for one.